Much has been spoken and written about the poison that is Zionism and Takfiri terrorism, but little about its antidote: Arab Nationalism.

Arab Nationalism came about as a reaction against colonialism in North Africa and the Levant, unlike for instance European nationalism which has it roots in racial supremacy, imperialism and ethnic cleansing. Arab nationalism emphasises Arab Unity above all, regardless of race, religion and socio-economic background which explains why the forefathers of Arab Nationalism such as Abdul Gamal Nasser, Michel Aflaq and Hafez Al-Assad were Sunni, Christian and Alawite respectively. It is about one single overarching post-colonial Arab identity, one which rejects racism, ethno-nationalism and religious sectarianism, instead it is about embracing a shared history in a shared massive geographical space united by a common language, common culture and anti imperial struggle. One could say Arab Nationalism is a modern albeit secular brand of the Arab Caliphates which were by and large successful.

It would therefore be pertinent to contrast it to European based nationalism and its related miscreants, Jewish supremacists and takfiri extremists to name just a few. While the descendants of white European colonialists in America, the so called ‘Neo-Nazis’ are for all intents and purposes reactionary, they are reactionaries without a set philosophy which makes them little more than racists. Beyond wishing for an exclusively white America which is totally unrealistic, they have nothing else to offer. Indeed, their ‘ideology’ calls for exclusion of anyone who isn’t ‘white’, even though technically Arabs and hispanics are also white though not quite ‘white’ enough according to these basic reactionaries. Ditto Jewish supremacists who wish for a Jewish-only state at the expense of the genuinely and historically multi-cultural country they have colonised. Let us for the sake of argument throw in there also the menacing Kurdish separatists, while the Gulf inspired Tafkiri extremists wish for a Wahhabi theocracy all across the Levant and North Africa. Both these biologically determined and religious ideologies are sectarian based and by extrapolation fascistic in nature, and they only serve to add fuel to the fire in a complex region which has historically been pluralistic and multi-cultural.

What is puzzling is that so little has been reported on the media about the countless speeches given by Syrian officials on the importance of Arab Nationalism and the dangers of Zionism in an age rife with foreign orchestrated sectarian conflict. Only recently in November 2017, President Assad gave his most powerful and elaborate speech on Arab Nationalism at an Arab Forum in Damascus about ‘Confronting the US-Zionist reactionary Alliance and Supporting the Palestinian People’s Resistance’.

President al-Assad defined Arab Nationalism as thus:

“Arabism is a cultural concept that involves all ethnic groups, religions and communities. It is a civilized status to which all who once existed in the region, without exceptions, contributed”.

Crucially, he added that one can be an Arab nationalist whilst also identifying as a Muslim, stressing that the two do not contradict one another, on the contrary they complement each other. So while Arab Nationalism allows for an Arab to appreciate and love the entirety of his or her culture, it also allows for identification with a specific religion without needing to reject everything else that the culture has to offer. The same cannot be said for the Zionist regime, which is more or less one big illegal military base with concentration camps where native non- jews are left displaced, starved and murdered in the 21st Century by the Jewish European colonialists, while the Ethiopian jews who went to “Israel” hoping for a better life are treated no better.

For all its abrasive anti-Iran rhetoric, “Israel” is in fact deep down far more afraid of Ba’athist Syria and by extrapolation, Arab Nationalism. The reason is both simple and complex.

The simple answer is, because Arab Nationalism is in fact all that “Israel” pretends to be: modern, progressive, democratic and secular. If Arab Nationalism were to flourish, where would that leave “Israel”? How will the Zionist regime justify its crimes against humanity, against the people whom it refers to as ‘parasites’ and ‘backwards’? It would leave them vulnerable to a major force beyond their military or intellectual abilities. Thus secular, progressive Syria, the last true bastion of Arab Nationalism in the region poses a far greater threat to Israel’s security long term than “Israel” would like to admit. Instead, Israel holds its cards close to its chest, keeping its anti-styria rhetoric simple and trite centred around ” Assad Must Go’ And ‘Assad is a Dictator’, no different from the one echoed by Takifiris and their masters US and EU.

While US and EU are mere opportunists in the war against Syria, for “Israel” it is a security matter of deep implications. For Israel, the main concern now is no longer whether Assad will go or not, but whether other present or future Arab leaders will follow Assad’s lead in re-Arabifying their countries and re-establishing the original and genuine anti-Israel and pro-Palestine policies. The Zionist regime is all too aware that the Liberation of Palestine is one of the basic principles of Arab Nationalism and one which true Arab nationalists such as Nasser, Gaddafi and the Assad family never abandoned.

The re-Arabification is already happening in Iraq which has remained a secular country albeit now with a few added Islamic legal elements due to the Iranian influence. But there is also Libya, a country ravished by war, yet in desperate need of a Gaddafi style unifying Arab nationalism, as evidenced by recent developments that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi may well follow his father’s footsteps and bring law and order to Libya. Furthermore, and perhaps most crucially and terrifyingly for the “Israelis”, was the most recent speech given by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas where he slammed and cursed the US and Donald Trump, strongly implying that the two-state solution is no longer a viable option for the Palestinian people.

Given the increasingly violent protests in Al-Quds/Jerusalem in light of Donald Trump’s decision to recognise al-Quds as the “Israeli” capital, the condemnation expressed by Arab Nationalists and Muslim majority countries including a few amongst the treacherous Gulfis, it is becoming perfectly clear that the Arab World is finally beginning to internalise the realities on the ground, and realise just how important it is to unite against the real threat that is Zionism and its unspoken useful idiot Tafkiri terrorism. It is this unification that “Israel” will do its utmost to prevent.

That said, the Gulfis are only as ideological as their lifestyle will allow. As the Petrodollar is slowly replaced by the Petroyuan, and thus as America’s influence decreases, there is every chance of a rapprochement between Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iran which could theorically pave the way for a detente with Syria given that Iran is a close ally of Syria. This would mean that the Northern Block of the Middle East which includes Syria, Iraq, Lebanon as well as the non-Arab states of Iran and Turkey, could all form a unifying front with the Southern Block which includes all the Gulf states, as well as Jordan, Egypt and Palestine.

Even though most of the Gulf states are ideologically opposed to Iran and its brand of Shia Islam, Gulfis are only truly ideological when they can afford to be. They worship money most of all, and so once the Yuan replaces the Dollar as the de-facto trading currency, America and Israel will be fully exposed for the saboteurs and divisive entities that they have always been. This time, however, they will have next to zero influence and Arab Unity may just prevail, even if for all the wrong reasons where the pro-US/anti-Iran Gulf states are concerned.

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Nedka Babliku is a geo-political commentator and writer with a special emphasis on the geo-political history and development of the Arab World, the wider Middle East in addition to Eurasian Integration. She has appeared on RT and is a frequent guest on Sputnik Radio and Press TV as well as other outlets. She is Co-Founder at Eurasia Future

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